Field of the Invention
The disclosed information relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds a sheet, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet feeding device.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, examples of image forming apparatuses include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer such as a light emitting diode (LED) printer and a laser beam printer, an electrophotographic facsimile machine, and an electrophotographic word processor. Such an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding device, and the image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device to an image forming unit has become widespread.
Generally, the image forming apparatus includes a sheet supplying cassette serving as a sheet storage unit. The sheet supplying cassette is attached to an image forming apparatus main body in a pullable manner, and a sheet stored in the sheet supplying cassette is automatically fed to the image forming unit by a sheet feeding roller.
The sheet supplying cassette in which sheets are stored includes a rear-end regulating member that regulates a position of a sheet feeding direction rear end (hereinafter referred to as a rear end) of a sheet to be stored when a sheet smaller than a maximum storable size sheet is stored. Moreover, the sheet supplying cassette includes side-end regulating members that regulate positions of side ends of a sheet in a direction (hereinafter referred to as a width direction) perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction.
In such a sheet supplying cassette, the side-end regulating member and the rear-end regulating member respectively regulate the side ends and the rear end of the sheet such that a leading-end position of the sheet is constantly regulated in a predetermined position. Accordingly, when the sheet supplying cassette is stored in the image forming apparatus main body, a sheet can be stably fed regardless of sheet size.
Meanwhile, there is a related-art image forming apparatus including a sheet storage space arranged in an image forming apparatus main body to reduce size thereof instead of using a sheet supplying cassette, and sheets are stored in the sheet storage space. Such an image forming apparatus can include a cover (an open-close member) that is opened and closed with respect to the sheet storage space according to sheet size. In such a case, the cover is opened such that a sheet is placed across the opened cover and a sheet stacking surface of the sheet storage space.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-219189 discusses a slide member. When a cover supports a sheet, the slide member supports a rear-end regulating member such that the rear-end regulating member can be moved to a position on the cover.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-219189, the slide member, which supports the rear-end regulating member, includes two components that are an arm for supporting the rear-end regulating member and a movement member for rotatably supporting the arm. Moreover, the slide member moves the movement member in a sliding manner with respect to a feeding tray serving as a support unit. In addition, according to the configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-219189, the arm needs to be rotated with respect to the movement member when the slide member is rotated.
Consequently, the arm cannot be directly moved in a sliding manner with respect to the support unit in the configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-219189. This increases the number of components. Moreover, a large space is necessary on a sheet supplying tray for rotation of the slide member including the movement member and the arm.